&amp;#145;Euripides&amp;#146; &amp;#145;Elektra&amp;#146; can hardly be described as a tragedy in view of its in heroic characters and excessive realism. Discuss.

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Introduction

'Euripides' 'Elektra' can hardly be described as a tragedy in view of its in heroic characters and excessive realism. Discuss. Before Agamemnon returned from Troy, Elektra, fearing that Aegisthus would murder Orestes, had sent him away from Argos to be brought up by Strophius, king of Phocis. In Euripides' play both Orestes and Elektra are far from heroic. The murder of Aegisthus is shown as inglorious as 'Orestes rose on his toes, and struck him on the joint of the neck, shattering his spine'. He was a coward to attack Aegisthus the way he did, from behind. The death of Clytaemnestra is just as revolting as Orestes and Elektra are both overcome with horror with what they had done and were covered in her blood. ...read more.

Middle

She says '"Oh! My misery is unbearable, my life hateful"', but really it is not that bad and she is being very unrealistic about the situation which is something which occurs to normal people, as peasants' lives are very similar and they don't complain. In Elektra's imagination her absent brother is a romantic hero. However, when she finds out whom he is and that he has been in hiding, she is disappointed and her high hopes are crushed. When Orestes asks Elektra '"How would Orestes, if he came, react to your situation?"', she answers making it clear that she expects him to carry out full revenge immediately and that she will help him, even if that means killing Clytaemnestra with her own hands. ...read more.

Conclusion

They discover that each is the other's only friend and they are forced to part. I think that it is not like other tragedies in the sense that Euripides added a lot of realism into his characters and gave a believable plot. Orestes was not given the attitude of a hero but of an average person. He was afraid of the outcome of killing someone, especially his own mother and he was scared of the consequences. Fear being an emotion which would never be found in a hero. Elektra is like every other girl as having images and dreams of a perfect life and a perfect image of her brother being a romantic hero, almost like a knight in shining armour. The play had contained a lot of realism and the characters were in heroic, scared and unsure of what they really wanted; characteristics which would never be found in a typical heroic character. ?? ?? ?? ?? ...read more.

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